Tongue-support for vehicles



(No Model.)

J. F. MITCHELL SE B. A. RICH.

TONGUE SUPPORT FOR VEHICLES.

No. 562,640. Patented June 23, 1896.

mmmv 1 mumm- WITNESSES: [Nil Nil? Cc/KW o O %& Q ZA o l-i 0 BY W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES F. MITCHELL AND ENOS A. RICH, OF OPOLIS, KANSAS.

TONGUE-SUPPORT FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 562,640, dated June 23, 1896.

Application filed March 31, 1896.

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JAMES F. MITGHELL and Enos A. HIGH, of Opolis, in the county of Crawford and State of Kansas, have invented a new and Improved Tongue-Support for Vehicles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates to a support for the tongues of vehicles, and the object of the invention is to provide such a support of simple, durable, and economic construction and of a resilient nature, the support being so applied to the tongue that it will carry the weight of the tongue in any desired position of the latter, and whereby the support at its forward or free end will have sliding connection with the tongue, enabling it to be raised to any desired height, without interfering with the downward movement of the tongue, which may be pressed to the ground and when relieved from pressure will resume its normal position.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section taken about centrally through a portion of the vehicle and the tongue of the same, illustrating the support in side elevation and as holding the tongue in an elevated position. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the forward portion of the runninggear of the vehicle, together with the tongue and the improved support applied to the latter; and Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of that portion of the tongue to which the support is attached.

In carrying out the invention the runninggear of the vehicle may be constructed in any approved manner. In the drawings, the forward portion of the running-gear consists of an afle A, hounds A, attached to the axle, and a bolster 10, secured to the axle and extending over the hounds. The pole A is pivotally connected with the hounds in any approved manner, and the pole may be of any Clips B are secured to desired construction erial No. 585,608. (No model.)

the axle and to the front bolster, one at each side of the center, and in the lower portion of the said clips at the front the extremities of the tongue-support C are pivoted. The aforesaid tonguesupport is preferably made of a spring bar material, and the said material may be a stiff wire if desired. The tonguesupport is practically of a U shape, and the members are made to diverge at their rear ends, and each member at its rear end is provided with an upwardly-extending loop 11, the bottom rear portion of each loop being that portion of the support which is pivotally %llli2t0l1@d to the aforesaid clips, as shown in Upon the under face of, the tongue or pole A a yoke 12 is longitudinally secured, and within the said yoke the bow portion of the tongue-support O is located and has sliding movement. Teeth are produced upon the under face of the aforesaid yoke, as is particularly shown at 13 in Figs. 1 and 3, and asliding latch His arranged to have longitudinal movement over the aforesaid yoke, the said latch consisting of an upper bifurcated member 14, havinga forwardly-extending springlip 149 attached to its forward end, and a handle member 15,-which extends rearwardly from the bottom portion of the body 14., the said handle member being provided with teeth 15, which are arranged to engage with the teeth 13 on the yoke 12 and the aforesaid body member is further provided with a recess 16 in its upper rear edge, adapted to receive the body portion of the tongue-support O, as is also shown in Fig. 1.

In the operation of the device the tongue is elevated to the desired position, and the handle member 15 of the locking device is pressed downward, disengaging its teeth from the teeth of the yoke 12 and placing the spring 14 under tension. The locking device is then carried rearward until its body member receives the bow portion of the tonguesupport, whereupon the handle section of the locking device is released, and the attached spring 14* will immediately act to place the teeth of the locking device in looking engagement With the teeth of the yoke 12. After the tongue has been adjusted the spring 0 will admit of the tongue being pressed to the ground, if necessary, the tongue returning-to normal position when relieved from pressure.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with the running-gear of a vehicle and the tongue of the same, of a support for the tongue having pivotal connection with the running-gear, a yoke-keeper attached to the tongue, in which the forward portion of the support has movement, and a locking device adjustable on the yoke-keeper and adapted for engagement with the forward end of the support,-as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, with the running-gear of a vehicle and the tongue of the same provided witha toothed keeper, of a sprin -sup,- port substantially U-shaped in general contour, the members whereof are pivotally connected with the running-gear, the bow section having movement in the said keeper, and a locking device having-sliding movement upon the keeper, being toothed to engage with the toothed surface of the said keeper and adapted in its lockingposition for engagement with the forward end of the aforesaid support, as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, with the running-gear of a vehicle, its tongue, and a yoke-keeper attached to. the under face of the tongue, the said keeper having teeth formed upon its under edge, of a spring-support for the tongue substantially U-shaped in general contour, the members whereof at the extremity of the ofa vehicle, its tongue, and a yoke-like ,keeper secured to the under face of the tongue, having teeth formed upon its under edge, of a support for the tongue of substantially U -shaped contour and constructed of a spring material, the bow member whereof has sliding movement between the keeper and tongue, the extremities of the said tonguesupport being upwardly bowed, and the tera minals of the bow-sections being in pivotal engagement with thernnning-gear, and a locking device,comprising a body, spring controlled and having sliding movement upon the I yoke-keeper, and a handle member toothed to engage the toothed portion of the keeper, the body portion of the locking device being arranged in engagement with that portion of the support sliding between the keeper and the tongue, as and for the purpose specified.

J AMES' F. MITCHELL. ENOS A. RICH.

\Vitnesses:

GEORGE BROWN, JAMES BATEMAN. 

